Watches for use in time-dependent authentication systems, and methods of use thereof in authentication protocols

Abstract

A watch ( 100 ) for use in a time-dependent authentication system, said watch ( 100 ) comprising: a mechanism having one or more moving components to measure and/or indicate passage of time, such as hands; a sensor subsystem ( 101, 102 ) configured to sense a mechanical configuration of said one or more moving components with respect to the fixed watch dial and to generate an output signal indicative of said sensed mechanical configuration; and a transmitter ( 107 ) configured to transmit said signal for use as a predictable, time-variant authentication token dependent on the mechanical configuration of the watch ( 100 ). In other words, the time-varying authentication token is related to the time-varying pattern formed by the positions of the hands onto the watch dial. The output signal is measured using a capacitive, an ultrasonic or an optical probe.

1 . A watch for use in a time-dependent authentication system, said watch comprising:
 a mechanism having one or more moving components to measure and/or indicate passage of time;   a sensor subsystem configured to sense a mechanical configuration of said one or more moving components and to generate an output signal indicative of said sensed mechanical configuration; and   a transmitter configured to transmit said signal for use as a predictable, time-variant authentication token dependent on the mechanical configuration of the watch.   
     
     
         2 . The watch of  claim 1 , wherein said sensor subsystem comprises a digitiser and the output signal is digital. 
     
     
         3 . The watch of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said authentication protocol is a challenge-response protocol;   the watch further comprises a receiver configured to receive a challenge signal; and   the output signal is transmitted in response to receipt of said challenge signal by said receiver.   
     
     
         4 . The watch of  claim 3 , wherein the receiver and said transmitter are comprised in a Bluetooth transceiver, an NFC transceiver, a WiFi transceiver, an RFID transceiver or a ZigBee transceiver. 
     
     
         5 . The watch of  claim 1 , configured to perform a calibration protocol in which:
 said sensor subsystem senses the mechanical configuration of the watch at least intermittently over at least a 60 second period; and   said transmitter transmits signals indicative of the sensed mechanical configuration over said period to be remotely analysed and characterised in a secure computing environment.   
     
     
         6 . The watch of  claim 5 , wherein said period is at least 60 minutes, or at least 12 hours, or at least 24 hours. 
     
     
         7 . The watch of  claim 1 , wherein said sensor subsystem and/or said transmitter are provided as one or more modules or components retrofittable to a watch. 
     
     
         8 . The watch of  claim 1 , wherein said sensor subsystem comprises:
 one or more emitters configured to generate one or more probe signals; and   one or more detectors configured to detect one or more altered probe signals, altered by the mechanical configuration of the watch, and use them to form the output signal.   
     
     
         9 . The watch of  claim 8 , wherein said one or more emitters and detectors comprise one or more ultrasound emitters and detectors and/or one or more electromagnetic emitters and detectors. 
     
     
         10 . The watch of  claim 1 , wherein said sensor subsystem comprises one or more detectors configured to passively generate the output signal. 
     
     
         11 . The watch of  claim 10 , wherein said one or more detectors are configured to detect an electromagnetic interrogation signal from an electronic device. 
     
     
         12 . The watch of  claim 11 , wherein said one or more detectors comprise capacitance sensors arranged to measure the capacitance between components of the watch whose relative locations change over time. 
     
     
         13 . The watch of  claim 1 , wherein said sensor subsystem comprises a nanowire filament. 
     
     
         14 . The watch of  claim 13 , wherein said nanowire filament is configured as, or as part of, one or more of: a capacitance sensor, an ultrasound transmitter, an infrared detector and a microwave antenna. 
     
     
         15 . The watch of  claim 13 , wherein said nanowire filament comprises graphene. 
     
     
         16 . The watch of  claim 1 , wherein said sensor subsystem is configured to combine outputs from a plurality of detectors to form the output signal. 
     
     
         17 . The watch of  claim 16 , wherein the sensor subsystem is configured to combined the sensed mechanical configurations from said plurality of detectors by performing one or more differencing or comparison operations. 
     
     
         18 . The watch of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more biometric sensors. 
     
     
         19 . The watch of  claim 18 , wherein said one or more biometric sensors sense data from which can be determined one or more of: pulse, skin conductivity, gait, skin tone, epidermal ridge patterns, hair properties, microbiome, nerve impulses and genome. 
     
     
         20 . The watch of  claim 18 , wherein said authentication token comprises data sensed by said one or more biometric sensors or data derived therefrom. 
     
     
         21 - 57 . (canceled)